WesleyGospel Ministries

OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES

Deuteronomy 32:35-36: “‘Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.’ For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free.” [Note: this was the opening text of Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, 1741].

Isaiah 66:24: “They shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They
shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Daniel 12:2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

THE WORDS OF CHRIST

Matthew 5:22: “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of Hell fire.”

Matthew 5:28-30: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Hell.”

Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew 10:28: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”

Matthew 18:8-9: “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into Hell fire.”

Matthew 23:15: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of Hell as yourselves!”

Matthew 25:46: “These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” [The NIV says “eternal punishment”].

Mark 9:42-50:

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where

“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.”

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into Hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where

“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.”

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into Hell fire–where

“Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.”

For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.

Luke 16:19-31, NIV:

The Rich Man and Lazarus

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” He answered, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.” “No, father Abraham,” he said, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 5:28-29: “The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth–those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE in the presence of the holy angels, and IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMB.  –Revelation 14:10 (KJV)

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction FROM the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. –2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (KJV)

The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. –2 Timothy 4:3-4

Which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. –2 Peter 3:16 (NKJV)

He cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. –Luke 16:24 (KJV)

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. –Psalm 139:7-8 (KJV)

The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. –Revelation 21:8 (KJV)

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R. C. Sproul, “The Problem of Hell,” ligonier.org.

Christopher Morgan, ed. Hell Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment. Zondervan, 2004.

—. Is Hell for Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven? Zondervan, 2011.

John Gerstner, Repent or Perish: With a Special Reference to the Conservative Attack on Hell. Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1997.

—. Jonathan Edwards: A Mini-Theology. Tyndale House, 1987.

Jonathan Edwards, The Wrath of Almighty God. Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1997.

Harry Buis, The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment. P & R Publishing, 1957.

W. G. T. Shedd, The Doctrine of Endless Punishment. Banner of Truth, 1986.

Wesley Gospel, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ 2: Hell.” (audio)

—. “Hell: Eternal Punishment for the Wicked.” (ch. 1 from Gospel of Jesus Christ)

—. “Why I Believe In Hell.” (audio)

—. “Biblical Passages on Hell.” (audio and Biblical texts)

Adam Clarke, “Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.” (audio from Christian Theology)

George Whitefield, “The Eternity of Hell-Torments.” (audio)

John Wesley, “Of Hell.” (audio)

If you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. –Jesus in Luke 22:36

The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. –Psalm 11:5

Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle. –Psalm 144:1

He is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. –Romans 13:4

Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” –Matthew 26:52-53

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. –Ephesians 6:12

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. –Ecclesiastes 3:8

About this time Antiochus made his second invasion of Egypt. And it happened that, for almost forty days, there appeared over all the city golden-clad cavalry charging through the air, in companies fully armed with lances and drawn swords—troops of cavalry drawn up, attacks and counterattacks made on this side and on that, brandishing of shields, massing of spears, hurling of missiles, the flash of golden trappings, and armor of all kinds. Therefore everyone prayed that the apparition might prove to have been a good omen. –2 Maccabees 5:1-5 (NRSV)

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All Quiet on the Western Front (1979).

Robert Clouse, ed., War: Four Christian Views (InterVarsity Press, 1981).

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. –Deuteronomy 18:10-14

The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. –Revelation 21:8

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Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Occult.

Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. –Proverbs 3:5-6

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. –Proverbs 22:3

For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Their females exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the males, giving up natural intercourse with females, were consumed with their passionate desires for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. –Romans 1:26-27 (NRSV, top liberal Bible)

When Abraham heard this, he was grieved for the Sodomites; and he rose up, and besought God for them, and entreated him that he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. And when God had replied that there was no good man among the Sodomites; for if there were but ten such men among them, he would not punish any of them for their sins, Abraham held his peace. And the angels came to the city of the Sodomites, and Lot entreated them to accept of a lodging with him; for he was a very generous and hospitable man, and one that had learned to imitate the goodness of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made ashamed. But God was much displeased at their impudent behavior, so that he both smote those men with blindness, and condemned the Sodomites to universal destruction. But Lot, upon God’s informing him of the future destruction of the Sodomites, went away, taking with him his wife and daughters, who were two, and still virgins; for those that were betrothed to them were above the thoughts of going, and deemed that Lot’s words were trifling. God then cast a thunderbolt upon the city, and set it on fire, with its inhabitants; and laid waste the country with the like burning. –Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 1.11.3-4 on Genesis 19

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Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse, Homosexuality: The Use of Scientific Research in the Church’s Moral Debate. IVP Academic, 2000. Shows that secular psychiatrists used to treat homosexuality as a psychosexual anxiety disorder before the 1980s. Political lobbyists changed all that.

Kerby Anderson, A Biblical Point of View on Homosexuality. Harvest House, 2008.

Stephen R. Holmes, “Listening to the Past and Reflecting on the Present,” Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church. Zondervan Academic, 2016. (has an AUDIBLE).

Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”…If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you. –Genesis 31:2-3, 42

Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice…Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”…That night David made good his escape…When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. –1 Samuel 18:10-11; 19:1-3, 10, 18

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“LABAN.” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. “In Ge 24:1-67, however, Laban is perhaps more prominent than even such custom can explain (compare Ge 24:31,50,55), and we are led to see in him already the same forcefulness and egotism that are abundantly shown in the stories from his later life. The man’s eager hospitality (verse 31), coming immediately after his mental inventory of the gifts bestowed by the visitor upon his sister (24:30), has usually, and justly, been regarded as a proof of the same greed that is his most conspicuous characteristic in the subsequent chapters…The nearer related to Laban such figures are, the more conspicuously, as is fitting, do they exhibit Laban’s mingled cunning, resourcefulness, greed and self-complacency (smug, arrogant, overly pleased with oneself, self-centered).” LABAN WAS A DECEITFUL BUSINESSMAN.

“JACOB,” 3.2. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. “Although much of Israel’s history can be summed up in the rivalry of Leah and Rachel–Judah and Joseph–yet it was not Jacob’s choice but Laban’s fraud that introduced this cause of schism. At the end of his 7 years’ labor Jacob received as wife not Rachel but Leah, on the belated plea that to give the younger daughter before the elder was not the custom of the country. This was the first of the “ten times” that Laban “changed the wages” of Jacob (Ge 31:7,41). Rachel became Jacob’s wife 7 days after Leah, and for this second wife he “served 7 other years.”…Jacob’s years of service for his wives were followed by 6 years of service rendered for a stipulated wage. Laban’s cunning in limiting the amount of this wage in a variety of ways was matched by Jacob’s cunning in devising means to overreach his uncle, so that the penniless wanderer of 20 years before becomes the wealthy proprietor of countless cattle and of the hosts of slaves necessary for their care (Ge 32:10). At the same time the apology of Jacob for his conduct during this entire period of residence in Haran is spirited (Ge 31:36-42); it is apparently unanswerable by Laban (Ge 31:43); and it is confirmed, both by the evident concurrence of Leah and Rachel (Ge 31:14-16), and by indications in the narrative that the justice (not merely the partiality) of God gave to each party his due recompense: to Jacob the rich returns of skillful, patient industry; to Laban rebuke and warning (Ge 31:5-13,24,29,42)…The manner of Jacob’s departure from Haran was determined by the strained relations between his uncle and himself. His motive in going, however, is represented as being fundamentally the desire to terminate an absence from his father’s country that had already grown too long (Ge 31:30; compare Ge 30:25)–a desire which in fact presented itself to him in the form of a revelation of God’s own purpose and command (Ge 31:3).”

“SAUL.” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. “Whether Saul actually discovered that David had been anointed by Samuel or not, he soon saw in him his rival and inevitable successor, and he would hardly have been human if he had not felt envious of him. His dislike of David had two motives. The first was jealousy, because the women preferred the military genius of David to his own (1Sa 18:7 f). His consequent attempt upon the life of David (1Sa 18:8-11) is omitted in the Septuagint. Not least was the love of his own daughter for David (1Sa 18:20; in 1Sa 18:28 read with Septuagint “all Israel”). The second cause was his natural objection to see his son Jonathan supplanted in his rights to the throne, an objection which was aggravated by the devotion of that son to his own rival (1Sa 20:30)…Saul could not believe that David could remain loyal to him (1Sa 24:9); at the first favorable opportunity he would turn upon him, hurl him from the throne, and exterminate his whole house. In these circumstances, it was his first interest to get rid of him. His first attempt to do so (omitting with Septuagint 1 Sam 18:8b-11) was to encourage him to make raids on the Philistines in the hope that these might kill him (1Sa 18:21 ff); his next, assassination by one of his servants (1Sa 19:1), and then by his own hand (1Sa 19:9 f). When David was compelled to fly, the quarrel turned to civil war. The superstitious fear of hurting the chosen of Yahweh had given place to blind rage. Those who sheltered the fugitive, even priests, were slaughtered (1Sa 22:17 ff). From one spot to another David was hunted, as he says, like a partridge (1Sa 26:20)…He was always at one extreme. His hatred of David was only equal to his affection for him at first (1Sa 18:2). His pusillanimity led him to commit crimes which his own judgment would have forbidden (1Sa 22:17). Like most beaten persons, he became suspicious of everyone (1Sa 22:7 f), and, like those who are easily led, he soon found his evil genius (1Sa 22:9,18,22). Saul’s inability to act alone appears from the fact that he never engaged in single combat, so far as we know. Before he could act at all his fury or his pity had to be roused to boiling-point (1Sa 11:6). His mind was peculiarly subject to external influences, so that he was now respectable man of the world, now a prophet (1Sa 10:11; 19:24).” SAUL WAS A POWER HUNGRY MADMAN.

Dr. Susan Forward, Toxic Parents, ch. 3. Bantam Books, 1989.

Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments, 2.5. Banner of Truth, 1965.

A still small voice. –1 Kings 19:12

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Ira Milligan, Understanding the Dreams You Dream.

John Paul Jackson, The Biblical Model of Dream Interpretation.

Lou Engle, “Horton Gets a Clue,” elijahlist.com.

The following Bible verses on “the contemplative life” below are from the RSV:


God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. –James 4:6

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind. –Colossians 2:18

Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. –Hebrews 12:2

For God alone my soul waits in silence. –Psalm 62:5

Be still, and know that I am God. –Psalm 46:10

When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. –Matthew 6:6

After the fire a still small voice. –1 Kings 19:12

King David went in and sat before the Lord. –2 Samuel 7:18

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” –Acts 10:1-4

Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” –Acts 10:9-13

We all, with unveiled face, beholding (Lat. contemplatio) the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. –2 Corinthians 3:18

I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet. –Revelation 1:9-10

Suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. –Acts 2:2

Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire. –Hebrews 1:7

A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up (goosebumps). –Job 4:15

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The Cloud of Unknowing. Paulist Press, 1981.

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God.

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.

Thomas Dubay, Fire Within, ch. 14: “Locutions and Visions.”